The University of Tennessee is in a bad spot publicly after the latest story about the sexual assault allegations they are facing went viral, making football coach Butch Jones look like a Grade A a-hole.
A group of six women filed a Title IX lawsuit against Tennessee recently alleging the school created a hostile sexual environment that led to multiple rapes and little being done about them. Five of the six women claimed to be the victims of rape.
Former Vols football player Drae Bowles filed an amendment Wednesday to the complaint that states he was called a “traitor” by Jones for helping a woman who said she was raped by Tennessee football players on Nov. 16, 2014.
Bowles says he was in his car and saw a woman crying and hyperventilating in bushes. He stopped to help her and she called 911 from his car to report the rape.
Bowles says he suffered a bloody lip after being punched by teammate Curt Maggitt that day and was confronted by teammates Geraldo Orta and Marlin Lane the next day. He says when he told Jones about what his teammates did to him, he was called out by the coach for supposedly betraying the team.
Bowles called Jones to tell him about being punched, and Jones said he was very disappointed in Bowles and that the receiver had “betrayed the team,” causing the player to break down and cry, according to the complaint. The complaint states Jones called Bowles several hours later to apologize for calling him “a traitor to the team.”
The woman’s report of the attack led to the arrests of former linebacker A.J. Johnson and defensive back Michael Williams, who were indicted on aggravated rape charges in February 2015.
Bowles transferred from Tennessee to Chatanooga after the 2014 season.
Since the original lawsuit was filed, two more plaintiffs were added to the case to make it eight.
Tennessee responded to the allegation with a statement.
“The facts, as opposed to allegations in a complaint, will demonstrate that the University acted properly in the matters at issue,” said Bill Ramsey, the university’s lawyer. “We have continuously worked hard to improve our processes and our procedures to ensure that we are doing all that we can to prevent incidents of assault, to support victims of assault and to pursue justice while ensuring due process for those accused. We will vigorously defend all claims in the amended complaint.”
Look, when you have this many cases and examples, it serves to show a pattern. Tennessee can deny all it wants, but it’s just making themselves look worse. And when you put 16 coaches together for a press conference, it further solidifies the message that they are making a tough environment for rape victims.
